Нейромант
Chapter 1
TherewerecountlesstheoriesexplainingwhyChibaCitytoleratedtheNinseienclave,butCasetendedtowardtheideathattheYakuzamightbepreservingtheplaceasakindofhistoricalpark,areminderofhumbleorigins.Buthealsosawacertainsenseinthenotionthatburgeoningtechnologiesrequireoutlawzones,thatNightCitywasn’tthereforitsinhabitants,butasadeliberatelyunsupervisedplaygroundfortechnologyitself.
WasLindaright,hewondered,staringupatthelights?WouldWagehavehimkilledtomakeanexample?Itdidn’tmakemuchsense,butthenWagedealtprimarilyinproscribedbiologicals,andtheysaidyouhadtobecrazytodothat.
ButLindasaidWagewantedhimdead.Case’sprimaryinsightintothedynamicsofstreetdealingwasthatneitherthebuyernorthesellerreallyneededhim.Amiddleman’sbusinessistomakehimselfanecessaryevil.ThedubiousnicheCasehadcarvedforhimselfinthecriminalecologyofNightCityhadbeencutoutwithlies,scoopedoutanightatatimewithbetrayal.Now,sensingthatitswallswerestartingtocrumble,hefelttheedgeofastrangeeuphoria.
Theweekbefore,he’ddelayedtransferofasyntheticglandularextract,retailingitforawidermarginthanusual.HeknewWagehadn’tlikedthat.Wagewashisprimarysupplier,nineyearsinChibaandoneofthefewgaijindealerswho’dmanagedtoforgelinkswiththerigidlystratifiedcriminalestablishmentbeyondNightCity’sborders.
